Blank-cartridge cannon.



PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

M. J. SHIMER. BLANK CARTRIDGE CANNON.

APPLIUATION FILED 13120.17, 1904.

2 SHEEI'BSHEBT 1.

l/Vl/NTOR (MZi0n J/J /zz'mer ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

No. 790,598. PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

M. J. SHIMER. BLANK CARTRIDGE CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR BEST AVAILABLE COPY Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT @Tiucn.

MILTON J. SHIMER, OF FREEMA-NSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLANK-CARTRIDGE CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,598, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed December 17, 1904- Serial No- 237,326.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON J. SHIMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Freemansburg, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Blank-Cartridge Cannon, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a toy cannon having its breech adapted to receive cartridges and to provide a hammer having a cup-shaped head which when it strikes the cartridge-shell to explode a cartridge fully covers the breech, thus preventing the possibility of fragments of the shell escaping should the she'll be unduly fractured at firing.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a combined trigger and lock-lever for the hammer, which lever is located in the stock of the gun-carriage and is especially adapted to be operated by the foot when the hammer is to be released for firing, thus avoiding all danger to the face and hands of the gunner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved toy cannon, the hammer being shown held for firing by the combined trigger and lock-lever. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the gun-carriage and portions of the cannon and hammer and illustrates the hammer in dotted lines in striking position, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The stock A of the gun-carriage is provided with the usual trail A and consists of two cheek-pieces 10, suitably spaced and connected. At the lower edge of the upper portion of the cheek-pieces bearings 11 are provided for an axle 12, having wheels 13 secured thereto, and at the upper edge of the upper portion of the cheek-pieces of the stock bearings 14 are formed, which receive the trunto snugly receive a cartridge-shell 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A combined trigger and lock-lever C forms a portion of the carriage and is provided at its upper end with cars 17, apertured to receive the axle 12, on which the said lever C is fulcrumed. The location of the lever C is between the cheek-pieces of the stock, and its body portion 18 is curved below the cheekpieces, as is shown in Fig. 2, the eonvexed face of the lever being its under face, and the free terminal portion 19of said lever is .carried up and practically horizontally rearward above the trail portion of the stock, the terminal 19 of the lever C being adapted to be operated by the foot, as is shown in Fig. 1.

The cartridge 17in the carriage of the cannon is exploded by contact with the hammer D, forming a portion of the carriage, as is particularly shown in Fig. 2. The hammer D consists principally of a shank-section 24 and a head 24, the head being provided with a finger-piece 25, which enables the operator to readily press the hammer down from the striking position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the firing position shown by positive lines in the same figure. The head 24 of the ham- .mer D is cup-shaped, being provided with a marginal flange, and the said head is of sufficient size to extend over the breech portion of the cannon before the head engages with the cartridge, thus absolutely preventing any fragments or smoke or flame escaping at the breech, which renders the use of the cannon comparatively safe even when operated by a careless person, especially so as the hammer is released by the foot for firing. The shank 24 of the hammer is provided with trunnions 21, suitably pivoted in the cheek-pieces 10 of the stock, as is shown in Fig. 3, and at the pivoted portion of the hammer-shank a finger 22 projects downward, having one face beveled or inclined. hen the hammer is in the upright or firing position, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) the finger 22 has a rearward as well as a downward inclination; but when the hammer has been pressed down to the hori- Zontal or firing position shown by positive lines in the drawings the finger 22 engages with a shoulder or offset 23 on the lever C, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. This engagement of the finger 22 with the shoulder or offset 23 holds the hammer in firing position against the tension of the spring 26 until the free end of the lever C is pressed down to break the connection mentioned, whereupon the spring 26 acts quickly and forcibly to carry the hammer upward to striking position, the head of the hammer being then brought into explosive contact with the cartridge 17. The spring 26 is preferably coiled around a trunnion 21 of the hammer D, and one end of the spring is carried back to an engagement with the back of the shank of the hammer adjacent to its head, and the other end of the spring is carried forward to an anchoring engagement with a lug 27, extending from a side of the lever C at a point in advance of the fulcrum of the hammer.

In operation the cannon is placed upon the ground. For example, the hammer is then carried by hand to its lower locked position, and the cartridge is inserted at the breech of the cannon. Finally, when it is desired to explode the cartridge pressure is brought to bear upon the lever C, thus releasing the hammer, which is carried upward by its controlling-spring until the head of the hammer completely incloses the breech of the cannon and forcibly strikes the cartridge. Thus it will be seen that the head of the hammer serves the purposes of a breech-block.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A stock, a cannon mounted on the stock, having its breech open for the reception of a cartridge, a tension-controlled hammer fulcrumed on the stock, which hammer is provided with a cup-shaped head of sufiicient size to receive the breech of the cannon, a combined trigger and lock-lever fulcrumed upon the said stock and connected with the tension device for the hammer, the said lever being provided with an ofiset, and a finger extending below the fulcrum-point of the hammer, adapted in the set or cooked position of the hammer to engage with the said offset on said lever, being held in such engagement by said tension device until the hammer is pressed downward.

2. In a toy cannon, a stock. a cannon pivoted on said stock, having its breech adapted for the reception of a cartridge, a hammer fulcrumed upon the stock, the head of said hammer being cup-shaped and of sufficient size to inclose the breech of the cannon when the said hammer is in striking position, a combined trigger and lock-lever fulcru med on the stock in advance of the fulcrum of the hammer, one end of said lever being free and extending upward and over the trail portion of the stock, said lever being adapted to be operated by the foot, an offset produced upon the upper face of said lever, a lug extending from the side of the said lever, a finger extending downward from the fulcrum of the hammer at an angle to its body portion, which finger in one position of the hammer is adapted to engage with the said projection on the lever, and a spring coiled around a trunnion of the hammer, having bearing at one end against the rear face of the hammer and connection at its opposite end with the lug on the said lever, the tendency of said spring being to carry the hammer to an upper striking position, as described.

3. A toy cannon having its breech permanently opened for the reception of a cartridge, a stock for the cannon, a tension-controlled hammer carried by the stock, having a cupped striking-section, and a trigger also carried by the stock, having releasing and locking action with relation to the hammer.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILTON J. SHIMER. 

